Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Spitsbergen Tours ( 79 02 10 68; www.terrapolaris.com ) The owner of Spits-
bergen Tours, Andreas Umbreit, is one of the longest-standing operators on the ar-
chipelago.
Spitsbergen Travel ( 79 02 61 00; www.spitsbergentravel.no ) One of the giants
of the Svalbard travel scene, with a staggering array of options.
Svalbard Hestesenter ( 91 77 65 95) Kayaking, horse riding and hiking.
Svalbard Husky ( 98 40 40 89) Year-round dog-sledding.
Svalbard Snøscooterutleie ( 79 02 46 61; www.scooterutleie.svalbard.no )
Winter snowmobile safaris as well as a handful of summer activities.
Svalbard Villmarkssenter ( 79 02 17 00; www.svalbardvillmarkssenter.no )
Experts in dog mushing , whether by sledge over the snow or on wheels during sum-
mer.
Svalbard Wildlife Expeditions (
79 02 56 60; www.wildlife.no ) Offering many
of the usual and several unusual trips.
Longyearbyen
POP 2000
Svalbard's only town - indeed, only centre with more than a handful of inhabitants -
Longyearbyenenjoysasuperbbackdropincludingtwoglaciertongues,Longyearbreenand
Lars Hjertabreen. The town itself is fringed by abandoned mining detritus and the water-
front is anything but beautiful, with shipping containers and industrial buildings. The fur-
ther you head up the valley towards the glaciers, the more you'll appreciate being here.
Even so, Longyearbyen is a place to base yourself for trips out into the wilderness rather
than somewhere to linger for its own sake.
History
Although whalers had been present here in previous centuries, the town of Longyearbyen
was founded in the early 20th century as a base for Svalbard's coal-mining activities;
the town's gritty coal-mining roots still show through, commemorated in the statue of a
grizzled miner and his pick near the Lompensenteret. For decades, Store Norsk, owner of
the pits, possessed the communal mess, company shop, transport in and out, and almost
the miners' souls. Then in 1976 the Norwegian state stepped in to bale the company out
from bankruptcy. Today, most of the few people who live here year-round enjoy one-year
 
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